Straight Line Mechanism Optimization
Ever wonder how designers achieve particular measurements? Below are animations showing the optimization of the mechanism using particle swarm optimization (Wikipedia page embedded below), a geometrically-intuitive optimization algorithm, which I really appreciated as a mechanically-minded individual. One advantage of this method over more analytical approaches is the ability to deal with numerical discontinuities (abrupt jumps in constraints or solutions)
Optimizing without decimal constraints:
Optimizing with discrete numbers (1/8 in increments):